Servers are shut down, Japan is in need of recovery after all the damages and casualties, what are YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR FREE TIME??

(I suggest donating something to Red Cross like what some other thread is suggesting, but that will only take a few minutes of your time... and servers are down about a week or so, maybe even a month or two, so that leaves A LOT OF FREE TIME!)

Well considering I have made my donations, got in contact with all my friends over in Japan to make sure they are safe, helped a japanese friend connect with her family in the Yamagata area to make sure they were okay, and finished 2 digital imaging projects. I think I am going to spend the remainder of spring break playing Fallout 3 and or a couple of F2P mmo's

I'm playing Monster Hunter Tri 3 but those servers haven't shut down at least yet and there's plenty in the single-player to keep me busy.

Just so happens that this is my one vacation in a long time and my favorite game shuts down, but I guess that's nothing compared to what people in Japan have lost. I feel like starting over some of the "golden-era"(pre XII) of FFs again. I'm so happy they sell so many of those on PSN.

And by favorite I mean XI naturally. I'm following the situation with the nuclear reactor online.

Going medival on my garden. I had the feeling they were starting to follow me around so i had to cut them all down. Gives me a chance to use axes and stuff again. Even took care of some of the more minor things with my katana, just to not lose the final fantasy feeling. I wonder how much EXP i got from them.

Play Crackdown 2,Try to beat Plants VS Zombies endless 40waves then Go on Xbox Live and get mercilessly head shot by punk kids in a multitude of games to remind me why I love playing MMOs. This is going to be a terrible week.

1. Spending time with my family, my FIL is extremely ill and we think we maybe losing him. 2. Been praying and thinking about Japan, hoping that the death toll doesn't rise anymore. 3. Trying to stay busy to keep my mind off of #1. 4. Most likely going to donate some money to help Japan, it won't be much, most likely the amount of money that I spend a week of lunches on at the gym for me and my daughter. 5. Playing Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and when I get frustrated with that game, playing Faery.

Edited, Mar 13th 2011 12:56pm by LillithaFenimore

____________________________

"I've never watched a nuclear explosion myself. That's a couple of degrees of stupid above my limit"- Old Man Harris

Ethical leeches pray for the safety and well being of other people? I thought you were self admittedly selfish and self serving and only like to LOOK like you're "helping" someone so that you can get what you want. You know, just like all of us (you said it). So when you say pray for Japan, don't you really mean pray that the servers are back up quickly, maybe with a new update ready, so that you can go back to "ethically" leeching off of people in FFXIV? Because a self admitted, self centered leech is the last person I'd expect to suggest prayer for others. You know, since you're really just leeching good games off the Japanese anyways.

Ethical leeches pray for the safety and well being of other people? I thought you were self admittedly selfish and self serving and only like to LOOK like you're "helping" someone so that you can get what you want. You know, just like all of us (you said it). So when you say pray for Japan, don't you really mean pray that the servers are back up quickly, maybe with a new update ready, so that you can go back to "ethically" leeching off of people in FFXIV? Because a self admitted, self centered leech is the last person I'd expect to suggest prayer for others. You know, since you're really just leeching good games off the Japanese anyways.

Edited, Mar 13th 2011 1:08pm by MCraine

Flame War begin...

I think I may hit the gym a little more than I have been, search for a new apartment, and try out Rift perhaps. See what's goin on there.

Unfortunately, a risk for SE and the current fanbase still playing the game:

Players who have invested time into their characters and became attached now have the time to check out other games. They, like myself, may quickly find out just how fun some other games are and how much work FFXIV has to close the gap. They may quickly realize they don't want to come back.

I think I'm going to try Dawn of War II: Retribution. Its a stand-alone expansion for only $30 and has decent reviews. I haven't really played any RTS since Command & Conquer 2 so I'm looking forward to it. The Warhammer series looks pretty wild and over the top, but fun too.

Update: I just bought it for only $24 on Amazon Download. Considering the game just came out last month, it would have to be pretty terrible for that not to be considered a bargain. Just an FYI for any RTS fans here.

Unfortunately, a risk for SE and the current fanbase still playing the game:

Players who have invested time into their characters and became attached now have the time to check out other games. They, like myself, may quickly find out just how fun some other games are and how much work FFXIV has to close the gap. They may quickly realize they don't want to come back.

Or, maybe it's just me...

More likely is that most people will not come back until something big happens, like the PS3 release along with some big chunks of content.

#38ViKtoricus,
Posted:Mar 14 2011 at 10:49 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) I think it's just the individuality of people. After trying out three different MMORPGs that are much more appreciated by the media compared to FFXIV, I still love to play FFXIV more than them. I end up coming back to it and it's going to be the same thing for a long time. Others on the other hand may not feel the same way.

I think I'm going to try Dawn of War II: Retribution. Its a stand-alone expansion for only $30 and has decent reviews. I haven't really played any RTS since Command & Conquer 2 so I'm looking forward to it. The Warhammer series looks pretty wild and over the top, but fun too.

Update: I just bought it for only $24 on Amazon Download. Considering the game just came out last month, it would have to be pretty terrible for that not to be considered a bargain. Just an FYI for any RTS fans here.

Edited, Mar 14th 2011 9:46pm by Mithsavvy

I bought SE's Supreme Commander 2 for $5 on Steam a month or so ago. I got an Ancient Greece-based RTS game for even less that came out this summer. Both are fun enough for several hours of play. There's usually a dirt-cheap RTS game available on Steam for the taking.

I got side tracked for a week playing Civilization IV and collecting Half Life 2 achievements when the quake hit. Since then I've mostly been reading about whats going on in Japan, the JET program and watching Anime I havent watched in a while (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Princess Mononoke etc).

Finally playing the Borderlands Claptrap expansion I bought 4 or 5 months ago, playing my first game of Civilization V that came out the same week as FFXIV and trying the 4 or 5 other PS3 games I've barely looked at. My PS3 has been used just for watching films since FF was released.

Playing Rift. I am now a Cleric 13 and I unlocked all my souls! The Rift battles are amazing, I'm having a great time!

Do you think rift is good enough to pull people away from FFXIV long term if FFXIV players try rift while the FFXIV servers are down?

Depends, IMO, on whether or not they are willing to wait for all the updates. In the short term, I might have to say yes, however, even though I am lvl 16 in RIFT, I still miss FFXIV. I know, it lacks content and direction atm, but I am confident that it will turn around. RIFT is very shiny out of the box, never boring, no actual "grind" per se, a lot of quests and public parties...

I have never played WOW or FFXI, so I cannot compare either game to their respective legacies, however, I am getting into RIFT, and must say that it is cool.

Just starting the crafting phase also, much much different than that of FFXIV. Also, the classes are seperate.

Again, I am not promoting rift, many things that I would fix (like let me use my controller!!!!) and gil is slow to get, at least that is what it seems to me.

So, back on topic, I think that RIFT will pull some away long term, as for me, it will cause me to enjoy both games for what they are worth. I will come back to FFXIV when it comes back up, but I am not going to let go of rift.

I have been playing RIFT and it was better than expected!I hate to say it... want Jump?... RIFT has it... want Auction House? Yep RIFT has it... Want a Linkshell or Guild system.. it has it.

Want a game to hold your attention so you don't have to watch TV and play, like with FFXIV... yup... you guessed it.

Oh... want a Mail system? It has it... lol... oh man...

Honestly... check the game out... it's complete... you will be as shocked as I was to see how faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar FFXIV has to come... it's scarry.

I guess that's why it's pay to play.

Sorry to be negative... but prove me wrong if you would like.

RIFT does not have Bill Clinton or Michael Jordan however... so it is lacking in that area. Oh.. yeah and RIFT doens't have BIG HEAD mode on, if it did, it would have a user interface option to turn it off.

Oh and some advice for folks going to give Rift a try... get the Collector's edition... I am upset I didn't! Now there is a tip!

Playing Rift. I am now a Cleric 13 and I unlocked all my souls! The Rift battles are amazing, I'm having a great time!

Do you think rift is good enough to pull people away from FFXIV long term if FFXIV players try rift while the FFXIV servers are down?

Maybe I'm the only one, but every time I give another MMO a chance, I am so disappointed the the character models. Like in Rift, there's only 3 races, basically, the graphics and detail are so low, not to mention the character animations are just silly looking. They all have this funny looking high jumper run, that I just can't stand.

SE put so much work into the character models, and animations, they just seem so alive, and I love it! Sure, Rift has all sorts of content, but once XIV has that, it will be such an amazing game. With Rift, though, you're stuck with those ugly graphics/animations forever..

Playing Rift. I am now a Cleric 13 and I unlocked all my souls! The Rift battles are amazing, I'm having a great time!

Do you think rift is good enough to pull people away from FFXIV long term if FFXIV players try rift while the FFXIV servers are down?

Maybe I'm the only one, but every time I give another MMO a chance, I am so disappointed the the character models. Like in Rift, there's only 3 races, basically, the graphics and detail are so low, not to mention the character animations are just silly looking. They all have this funny looking high jumper run, that I just can't stand.

SE put so much work into the character models, and animations, they just seem so alive, and I love it! Sure, Rift has all sorts of content, but once XIV has that, it will be such an amazing game. With Rift, though, you're stuck with those ugly graphics/animations forever..

I mean listen, we all like looking at our own characters... but i didn't make a female char in FFXIV to drool over. Maybe I should have done that.

I personally like my Rift character better than my FFXIV.

Great Graphics hasn't given FFXIV great "GAME" reviews. It's like having a Huge Firework that can't be lit... ppffftttt!